Please review our hiker info page to familiarize yourself with hiker safety rules and our hike ratings so that you can select hikes that meet your level of fitness. Unless specified otherwise in the activity descriptions below, hikes have a 15 person limit, and they begin in the ABDNHA parking lot.
4WD Tour: Gas Domes–Shell Reef–Pumpkin Patch–OWSVRA (Members Priority)
ABDNHA Parking Lot 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego SpringsWeek of Events
Sunday, March 22, 2026
No events on this day.
Monday, March 23, 2026
-
March 23, 2026 -Hike: Golden Queen Mine Shuttle (Fairly Easy)
-
March 23, 2026 -Hike: Golden Queen Mine Shuttle (Fairly Easy)
Hike: Golden Queen Mine Shuttle (Fairly Easy)
Leader: Robin Halford, ABDNHA Volunteer
Most of the walking will be on trails- Mason Valley Truck Trail, and the California Riding and Hiking Trail - with a small amount of bushwhacking to the mine. This 5.9-mile hike offers a nice view of Lake Cuyamaca. The hike starts in ABDSP and finishes in Rancho Cuyamaca SP. Bring lunch/snack, hat, water, and good shoes. Limit 10. Call or stop by to reserve: 760-767-3098. No charge.
Meeting point is on S1 Sunrise Highway - Driving instructions: From Hwy 78 in Julian, drive South on Hwy 79 for 5.8 miles and turn left onto S1 (Sunrise Hwy). Drive 1.6 miles and turn left into the pullout for Fages Monument. We will carpool/shuttle from here to the beginning of the hike. The drive is on paved roads and ok for 2WD. This is a shuttle; all drivers must be willing to take extra passengers.
Hike: Golden Queen Mine Shuttle (Fairly Easy)
Leader: Robin Halford, ABDNHA Volunteer
Most of the walking will be on trails- Mason Valley Truck Trail, and the California Riding and Hiking Trail - with a small amount of bushwhacking to the mine. This 5.9-mile hike offers a nice view of Lake Cuyamaca. The hike starts in ABDSP and finishes in Rancho Cuyamaca SP. Bring lunch/snack, hat, water, and good shoes. Limit 10. Call or stop by to reserve: 760-767-3098. No charge.
Meeting point is on S1 Sunrise Highway - Driving instructions: From Hwy 78 in Julian, drive South on Hwy 79 for 5.8 miles and turn left onto S1 (Sunrise Hwy). Drive 1.6 miles and turn left into the pullout for Fages Monument. We will carpool/shuttle from here to the beginning of the hike. The drive is on paved roads and ok for 2WD. This is a shuttle; all drivers must be willing to take extra passengers.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
-
March 24, 2026 -Hike: Coyote Peak (Strenuous) – CANCELLED
-
March 24, 2026 -Poetry in the ABDNHA Desert Garden
Hike: Coyote Peak (Strenuous) – CANCELLED
Leaders: Carmelita Logerwell and Terri Straub
*** THIS HIKE IS CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT ***
Hike, 6 miles, 2,618’ gain, strenuous. Join Carmelita and Terri on their grand finale hike for the season! This hike is only for well-conditioned hikers. We hike out and back to Coyote Peak from Rockhouse Truck Trail. Wonderful 360-degree views of Borrego Springs and beyond from the top. Well-marked use trail once we're on the ridge. The dirt road should be fine for AWD cars. Max 15 people. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring lunch, snacks, and water. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve.
Poetry in the ABDNHA Desert Garden
Leader: Amy Brewster
Join writer/naturalist Amy Brewster in the lovely ABDNHA garden for an hour of poetry or prose. Bring your own writing or a piece by an author you love. Amy encourages you to bring writing about the beauty of wild places, especially the desert. 12 people max. No charge. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
No events on this day.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
-
March 26, 2026 -4WD Tour: Gas Domes–Shell Reef–Pumpkin Patch–OWSVRA (Members Priority)
4WD Tour: Gas Domes–Shell Reef–Pumpkin Patch–OWSVRA (Members Priority)
Leader: Jim Torian, ABDNHA Volunteer
Level 4 – 4WD Higher Clearance
We will explore points of interest in the Ocotillo Wells SVRA and ABDSP. Meet at the ABDNHA parking lot by 8:30 a.m. for a briefing before caravanning to Pole Line Road off SR 78, where we air down and begin our journey. Restrooms are available here, as well as our lunch spot at the Pumpkin Patch. We will wind our way north and west through the SVRA. There are 6 features on our route, and we will stop at as many as we have time for, including the artesian well, gas domes, Shell Reef, Pumpkin Patch, 5 Palms, and 17 Palms Oasis. Our trip ends when we exit the park at Arroyo Salado at S22, 17 miles east of Borrego Springs. Road conditions vary from hardpan and washboard to mildly rocky, to some easy hills and soft sandy washes. We will cover about 28 miles with a total elevation gain of about 880 feet. Lunch is BYO. 4WD only and a full tank of gas. GMRS channel 15 is optional. Check the weather and dress accordingly. No fee. Space is limited. Call to reserve 760-767-3098.
Friday, March 27, 2026
-
March 27, 2026 -ABDNHA Friendly Friday Bike Ride
ABDNHA Friendly Friday Bike Ride
Leader: Paul Petersen, ABDNHA Volunteer. Relaxed social ride of 20-30 miles, mostly flat, at a 10-12 mph pace. Routes vary weekly, and fun rides to highlight the roads less traveled. Return times vary depending on the chosen route. FREE, every Friday. No registration required. Meet in the parking lot opposite the County Public Library.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
-
March 28, 2026 -Hike: Exploring Coyote Canyon – CANCELLED
Hike: Exploring Coyote Canyon – CANCELLED
Leader: Marlin Burke, Naturalist Volunteer
*** HIKE IS CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT ***
We meet at ABDNHA and then carpool to Coyote Creek, where we explore the history of Native Americans and early settlers, geology, paleontology, Plant life, Coyote Creek itself, and whatever else catches our attention. Easy walking; driving on a dirt road. High clearance 2WD or SUV acceptable due to dirt road with possible rocks or potholes. No charge, but registration is required. Call or visit the ABDNHA Nature Center, 760-767-3098.